Life — May 8, 1931 — page 10: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Content Analysis This page from *Life* magazine contains several satirical pieces: **"Sure Sign"** is a brief joke about job incompetence leading to depression relief through firing. **"Spring Cleaning"** notes a robin spotted in Chicago, suggesting winter's end. **"Secret Benefits"** reports food prices dropping 16% in twelve months—a positive economic indicator worth publicizing. **The main cartoon** depicts a chaotic kitchen scene where someone's breath is being remarked upon ("Lemme smell yer breath!" / "Smell my lawyer's!"). This appears to be Prohibition-era satire, mocking the absurdity of alcohol laws and their enforcement through humor about lawyer involvement in what should be simple matters. **"Farthest North in Letters"** features humorous postcards supposedly sent from the North Pole Arctic expedition, a novelty service advertised at $1 per letter.